Folding article-holder



A. WIGGERS.

FOLDING ARTICLE HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5, 1919.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920'.

INVENTOR fl ert W y ers ATTORN Y UNITED STATES ALBERT WIGGERS, 0F JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

FOLDING ARTICLE-HOLDER.

Application filed February 5, 1919.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT YVVIGGERS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Article-Holders, of which the following is a specification;

This invention relates to a stand or frame intended primarily for travelers watches or clocks, but readily adapted to hold other articles, such as pictures. The object of my invention is to provide a neat and simple stand or frame of this character, which will be strong so as to efficiently support and protect the watch, clock, or other article, which will be readily opened to form a stand, or closed or folded to facilitate packing or hanging on a wall, and which in the folded condition will have no projections in positions liable to be injured by other objects which may be packed into the same suitcase or other container.

To this end, the invention consists in certain novel constructions and arrangements of parts, as will be explained hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Three specific examples of my invention are illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure lis a rear elevation of a watch-holder or clock-holder embodying my invention, showing the same in the folded condition; Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the same stand or holder in the open position, with a watch or clock supported thereby; Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the holder, with the watch or clock therein, hung on a wall, in the folded condition; Fig. i is a side elevation of the folded holder, with the watch or clock therein, as it would rest flat on a horizontal surface, say on a book or like article in a suitcase; Fig. 5 is a cross section, substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a detail section, on an enlarged scale, showing the parts appearing at the top of Fig. 3, but in a different position; Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, but showing the parts in the same position as in Fig. 3; and Figs. 8 and 9 are sectional elevations corresponding to Fig. 6, but illustrating slightly different constructions of certain parts.

In the constructions illustrated by the drawings, the invention is applied to a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

Serial No. 275,084.

holder for travelers clocks or watches, such as indicated at A, the winding stem being designated as A. The holder comprises a frame-like front portion B, having a circular opening B into which the watch or clock is fitted in any suitable manner, as by makmg the watch-case or clock-case with a groove to receive the edge of the opening, and at the lower portion of the front I have shown a recess or cut-out portion B, into which the stem A projects so that it may be readily accessible. To the upper portion of the front B is secured a bracket extending therefrom rearwardly, and in the particular construction shown in Figs. 1 to 7, this bracket consists of two portions, viz: an angular or L-shaped piece C one member of which is soldered or otherwise secured to the rear face of the front B, above the opening B, while its other member extends at right angles thereto rearwardly; the other portion of the bracket consists of a piece of metal folded upon itself to form two parallel layers D and D respectively, between which extends the rearwardly-extending member of the attaching piece C, which member is soldered or otherwise secured to said layers D, D. The bend connecting the two layers is located at the rear, and beyond the rear edge of said attaching piece C, and preferably the bend is clownward with respect to the upper layer D, that is to say, such bend does not project upwardly beyond the upper surface of said layer D. This bend is formed with a plurality of openings E, thereby forming spaced longitudinally-alining eyes D through which a hinge pintle F may be passed. This pintle will also extend through similar eyes G formed on the hinged or folding back or leg of the holder. For convenience in manufacture, the eyes G are shown as located at the bend connecting two layers G, G of a separate hinge-piece, the upper layer Gr being soldered or otherwise secured to the front face of the main portion H of the leg, and the two layers G, G being similarly connected to each other. The eyes G are preferably flush with the rear surface of the upper or rear layer G; thus the pintle F has its axis-to one side of the plane of contact of the two layers, G, G, the periphery of said pintle being practically tangential to the inner surface of the layer G, and also tangential to the inner (lower) surface of the upper layer D of the bracket. The leg or brace H ward the front portion B, that is to say,'the

edge of said lip is nearer to said front portion than the hinge, or at least than the body of. the leg, even when said leg is folded to a position in which it is approximately parallel tothe front portion B, see Figs. 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9. For a purpose set forth hereinafter,

I prefer to provide the leg H, adjacent to,

and: below, the hinge, with an opening H, the most appropriate location of which would be above the upper edge of the opening B, see Fig. 1, assuming the leg to be folded parallel to the front portion as in Fig. 3, andtheholder to occupy a vertical position. This opening H may be partly in the body'H oftheleg, and partly in the two layers. G, G of the hinge-piece, as indicated in Fig. 5. I

In the construction illustrated by Fig. 8, the angular or L-shaped piece C for attaching the bracket has been dispensed with, said bracket consisting of a single piece of metal having. upper and lower layers cl, (Z respectively corresponding to the layers D, D respectively, and from the forward ends of these layers d, d alining attaching flanges a extend upwardly and downwardly, said flanges being secured to the rear surface of the front portion 13, as by soldering or riveting. The layers (Z, d may be soldered together if. desired, since they are in mutual contact, instead of being spaced like the layers. D, D? embracing the transverse member of the attaching piece C. When this attaching piece is used, the rear edge of its transverse member is. at a dis tance from the hinge-eyesD, as shown best in Figs. 6 and 7, so that said attaching piece will be clear of the pintle F. In the con struction shown in Fig. 9, I employ two attaching pieces C of angular character located above and below the layers D, D,

which in this case abut against each other,

the parts being secured in any suitable man ner. The parts. thus described are generally made of metal, and a'covering of leather or other appropriate material (not shown) is usually applied to incase themetal parts and improve the appearance of theholder,

although this covering may be omitted.

WVhen used as a stand (Figs. 2 and 6), the

holder has its leg H swung so that itwill extend at an angle to the plane of the front portion B, and the lip H of said leg coming in contact with the transverse member ofthe bracket (part'Dord, or C), so that the bracket will form a stop to limit the opening movement of the leg. It. will be noted that thelip H does not engage the front portion B, and the hinge being at some distance from said front portion, a better bracing action and greater stability are obtained. When it is desired to hang up the holder with the watch or other article therein, the legH is folded to a position'parallel to the plane of the front portion B, or approximately so, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, and 9. This will bring the openingH intoa position to receive a hook J or like device forhanging the holder on a wall asv indicated in Fig. Inasmuch as the opening H in this position is above the opening. B, and out of line therewith, (see. Fig. 1), there is no danger of contact between the watch or other article and. the hookor the like. It will. further be noted that when the leg. H isapproximately parallel to the front portion 13, the lip H extends toward such front portion, and not away from it. This has several advantages; first, when the holder is suspended as shown in Fig. 3, the lip H" extends away from the wall and therefore allows the leg or. brace H to be brought. quite close tothe wall; second, when the holder with the watch. or other article, or even without, any article, is folded for packing or shipping, the lip H" is well protected against injury by contact. with other objects packed in the same container; and third, whenthe holder, containing say a watch, is placed on a flat surface, see Fig. 4:, as when the holder with such. article is. packed into a suit-case or like container, the lip H will not be likely objects restingon top of said lip, in'such a manner as to cause the leg H to swing on r the pintle F. It will be obvious that if: in the position illustrated by Fig. 74, the lip H" extended upwardly instead of downwardly as itv does with my invention, the pressure of any object placed on top of said lip would tend toswingthe free end of the leg or brace H upwardly on the hinge pin tle F, and this might result in injury to suchleg or to the objects engaged byit. In my construction, the lip H extendingbeyond the pintle F, is" located entirely in front of the plane containing the rear. surface of the leg, and I thus avoid the drawbacksand secure theadvantages pointed out above.

While I have shown satisfactory and preferred embodiments of, my improved construction, I desire it to be understood that various modifications maybe made without departing from the nature of, my invention as set. forth in the appended claims.

I claim as .my invention:

1. A holder of the class described, comprising a front member provided with an opening to receive the article. to beheld, a bracket extending rearwardly from :said

member at a point above the upper edge of said opening, and a leg pivoted to the rear portion of said bracket and formed with a portion extending above the pivot and shorter than the least distance of said pivot from said front member, whereby the upper end of the leg will be kept out of contact with the front member in all positions, but will be allowed to come into engagement with said bracket at a point between the front member and said pivot.

2. A holder of the class described, comprising a front member, a bracket extending rearwardly from the upper portion of said member, and a leg pivoted to the rear portion of said bracket, and provided above the pivot with a lip adapted to engage said bracket and bent forwardly toward said front member relatively to the lower portion of the leg so as to form a forward angle with said lower leg portion.

3. A holder of the class described, comprising a front member, a bracket extending rearwardly from the upper portion of said member and formed of two layers and a bend connecting said layers, at the rear portion of the bracket, said bend having openings to form spaced hinge eyes between them, a pintle extending through said hinge eyes and tangential to the lower plane of the upper layer of the bracket, and a leg monnted on said pintle pivot-ally between the hinge eyes of the bracket.

l. A holder of the class described, comprising a front member, a bracket extending rearwardly from the upper portion of said member and formed of two layers and a bend connecting said layers at the rear end of the bracket, said bend having openings to form spaced hinge eyes between them, and a leg having spaced hinge eyes fitted between those of said bracket, and pivoted thereto, said leg being formed with a lip extending over the hinge eyes and concealing them.

5. A holder of the class described, comprising a front member, a bracket extending rearwardly from the upper portion of said member and formed of two layers and a bend connecting said layers at the rear portion of the bracket, said bend having openings to form spaced hinge eyes between them, a leg provided with a two-layer attaching piece the layers of which are con nected by a bend having openings to form spaced hinge eyes fitted between those of said bracket, and a pintle extending through the hinge eyes of the bracket and of the leg and connecting the leg pivotally with the bracket, the periphery of said pintle being tangential to the lower surface of the upper layer of the bracket and also tangential to the inner surface of the front layer of said attaching piece.

6. A holder of the class described, comprising a front member, a bracket extending rearwardly from the upper portion of said member and formed of two layers and a bend connecting said layers at the rear portion of the bracket, said bend having openings to form spaced hinge eyes between them, and a leg having spaced hinge eyes fitted between those of said bracket, and pivoted thereto.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

ALBERT 'WIGGERS. 

